Flash floods, high surf and tsunami alerts matter in Hilo, and Hawaii County alerts also include tropical storm warnings
Flash floods, high surf and tsunami alerts are the ones that matter in Hilo. Tornadoes are very rare, 4 within 25 miles, and Diana passed near in 1972.
No National Weather Service watches, warnings or advisories are in effect for the center of Hilo right now. Hilo is in Hawaii County.
Severe weather and weather alerts in Hilo right now, with tornado warning, flood warning and heat advisory status
Each row is checked against the National Weather Service alerts for the center of the city, which is in Hawaii County.
| Alert type | Right now |
|---|---|
| Tornado warning or watch | None in effect |
| Severe thunderstorm warning or watch | None in effect |
| Flood warning, flood watch or flash flood warning | None in effect |
| Winter storm warning, blizzard or ice storm | None in effect |
| Heat advisory or excessive heat warning | None in effect |
| Hurricane or tropical storm warning or watch | None in effect |
A watch means conditions are possible, so be ready. A warning means the hazard is happening or expected soon, so act now. What watches, warnings and advisories mean →
Tornado history near Hilo
Every tornado in the official record that started within 25 miles of the city center, 1955 to 2025.
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Date | Rating | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 1980 | EF1 | 0 | 0 |
| April 3, 1986 | EF0 | 0 | 0 |
| November 20, 1978 | EF0 | 0 | 0 |
| March 19, 1955 | EF0 | 0 | 0 |
The single busiest month is March (50% of the total).
Counts use each tornado's starting point and are limited to the official record, so they cover where tornadoes began, not every place they passed. A tornado that crosses a state line is listed once for each state. Ratings are the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale, assigned after National Weather Service damage surveys. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Past counts do not predict the next tornado.
Hurricanes and tropical storms near Hilo
Storms whose center passed within 60 nautical miles (about 69 miles) with at least 39 mph winds, 1851 to 2025.
| Storm | Date | Winds at closest pass | Strength | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diana (1972) | August 19, 1972 | 70 mph | Tropical storm | 67 mi |
| Iselle (2014) | August 8, 2014 | 60 mph | Tropical storm | 38 mi |
| Unnamed (1958) | August 7, 1958 | 50 mph | Tropical storm | 38 mi |
| Darby (2016) | July 24, 2016 | 40 mph | Tropical storm | 32 mi |
Winds are the storm's maximum sustained winds when its center was closest to the city center in the six-hourly record, not the winds felt in the city, which depend on the storm's size and which side of it you were on. Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2.
Flood zone map for Hilo
Flood zones are mapped by FEMA, and they are set street by street, so the city center cannot tell you whether your address is in one. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center lets you search an address and see its flood zone.
Be ready in Hilo
Steps from official sources, with each point linked to the page it comes from.
- Know your evacuation zone by contacting your local government or emergency management office. (NWS: Hurricane plan)
- Build an emergency kit and check equipment such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters. (NWS: Hurricane plan)
- Write or review a family emergency plan: how you will reach each other, where you will go and what you will do. (NWS: Hurricane plan)
- It is never safe to drive or walk into flood waters. Turn around, don't drown. (NWS: Turn Around Don't Drown)
- Never drive around the barriers blocking a flooded road. The road may have collapsed under the water. (NWS: Turn Around Don't Drown)
- Evacuate immediately when water starts to rise, and get to higher ground if you are in a flood-prone or low-lying area. (NWS: During a flood)
- When thunder roars, go indoors. Move from outdoors into a building or a car with a roof. (Ready.gov: Thunderstorms & Lightning)
- Avoid using electronic devices connected to an electrical outlet, and avoid running water. (Ready.gov: Thunderstorms & Lightning)
- Do not drive through flooded roadways. Six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot can sweep a vehicle away. (Ready.gov: Thunderstorms & Lightning)
- Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Fans do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illness. (Ready.gov: Extreme Heat)
- If your home has no air conditioning, find a cooling center, take cool showers or baths, and drink plenty of fluids. (Ready.gov: Extreme Heat)
- Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day. Check on family members, older adults and neighbors. (Ready.gov: Extreme Heat)
Nearby cities
Common questions about weather in Hilo
What county is Hilo in?
Hilo is in Hawaii County, Hawaii.
Is there a tornado watch, tornado warning, winter storm, ice storm, snow or other weather warning in Hilo and the rest of Hawaii County right now?
The National Weather Service has no active alerts for the center of Hilo right now. An alert can cover only part of Hawaii County, so the Hawaii alerts page lists every county with an active National Weather Service alert.
What happened in the EF1 tornado near Hilo on March 20, 1980?
It is the strongest tornado in the NOAA Storm Prediction Center record that started within 25 miles of the center of Hilo. It was rated EF1, caused no recorded deaths or injuries, and began in Hawaii. Of the 4 tornadoes that started that close since 1950, 0 were rated EF2 or stronger. Ratings before 2007 use the original Fujita scale.
How many tornadoes have started within 25 miles of Hilo?
4 tornadoes from 1955 through 2025, 0 of them since 2000. In the last 10 years (2016 to 2025) there were 0. March is the busiest single month (50% of the total). One tornado that crosses a county or state line can appear as two records.
When did a tornado last start near Hilo?
The most recent tornado in the database that started within 25 miles of the center of Hilo began on April 3, 1986 and was rated EF0. The database runs through 2025, so it does not include anything after that.
Has a tropical storm ever passed near Hilo?
Diana in 1972 is the strongest on record: winds of 70 mph (tropical storm) at its closest recorded position on August 19, 1972, about 67 miles away. In all, 4 tropical storms and hurricanes have passed within 60 nautical miles (about 69 miles) of Hilo since 1851. Wind and damage in the city itself depend on a storm's size and path.
Alerts come from the National Weather Service, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the National Hurricane Center.